What Do You Mean the Batmobile Can't Turn on a Dime?

Batman continues to beat up on baddies in LEGO Batman 2.

Author: Scott Rodgers

Published: August 5, 2012

“It’s a kid’s game.”

I found myself saying this repeatedly. Not in an insulting way, but just to remind myself that I had to be missing something. LEGO games have always been a guilty pleasure of mine, with their quirky sense of humor and adorable graphics. Sure, the formula is simple and there have been a ton of LEGO games in recent years, but it’s impossible not to be giddy like a small child at seeing characters like Batman, Indiana Jones, or Darth Maul “LEGOfied.”

That brings us to the newest installation in the series, LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes. It’s perfect timing, really, with The Dark Knight Rises releasing in theatres around the same time. I never got around to playing the first LEGO Batman, but I was still very much excited to dive into this game. If for no other reason than using Superman and Batman at the same time in LEGO form and chasing down their respective archenemies.

The very first thing I noticed about LEGO Batman 2 was the fact that it is voiced. This fact is one that will surprise many fans. Previous games featured scripts full of “huh”s and “aha”s with some flare and body language. Well, as much language as a character made out of blocks can give. It was rather jarring at first to hear the characters chatting, but it actually worked out quite well. The voice actors do a great job at nailing their respective characters and no one really sounds out of place or ridiculous. The script is top notch and features some fun interactions that are only possible in this game (such as Robin swooning over Superman right in front of Batman). After playing through this game I can honestly say that I have been spoiled and hope that the series continues to move in this direction.

Graphically, it won’t blow you away, but it still has the distinct charm of the series. It’s cute to see baddies forced down into a kid friendly format. It’s impressive to see Gotham City landmarks in LEGO form. They’re stable and you won’t encounter many problems with disappearing or missing textures as the other games sometimes had. Unfortunately there are some clipping problems, particularly on destructible environments, but it’s a minor setback when you take everything as a whole.

The gameplay is what should be expected from the series. There’s some puzzle solving, some platforming, multiple characters to be used, and a whole lot of pegs to be collected and spent. After playing through levels you can go back with other characters you have collected and gain access to items that would otherwise be unattainable. I found the puzzles to be less frustrating than what I encountered in previous games, but they can still stump gamers for a few moments. Characters also get different suits, that allow them to do unique things, such as Robin having magnetized powers, Batman being able to blast silver colored items, and so forth. Other characters can do these same things without the need of changing their threads, but some may take you a while to save up for and unlock.